AfriKin Art Fair 2025: “Through Creation, We Find Meaning: SCENES From HOME”

MIAMI – The 11^th edition of the AfriKin Art Fair returns as the premier showcase of African and diasporic contemporary art during Miami Art Week / Art Basel Miami Beach. This year’s theme — “Through Creation, We Find Meaning: SCENES From HOME” — invites audiences into a profound encounter with art’s role in shaping belonging, identity, and cultural continuity.

Curated by Dr. Joseph L. Underwood, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Art History, Kent State University), the exhibition features over 60 cross-disciplinary artists from more than 30 countries and territories, offering a panoramic vision of global Black creativity at its most vibrant.

Exhibition Overview: “SCENES From HOME”

Dr. Underwood says: “Coming at a critical moment in world history, as borders become more closed off, as nations re-evaluate the status of passport and visa holders, and as big tech sees users as mere data, artists can offer a meaningful reflection on what makes us human–from the tangible masterpieces we create with our hands and hearts, to how we intentionally connect with our families, neighbors, and communities by the stories our artworks tell.”

The exhibition unfolds across six subthemes, each exploring a facet of belonging:

• The Land – celebrates nature as both heritage and living archive.
• Built Environment – examines architecture, form, and the human landscape.
• Space and Spirit – explores the metaphysical realms of identity and faith.
• Nostalgia and Tradition – reclaims memory, ancestry, and cultural transmission.
• Aspirational Visions – imagines home as a horizon of collective futures.
• Generation to Generation – honors kinship, legacy, and the bonds that define us

 Opening Night: The Vernissage — An All-White Affair

Sunday, November 30, 2025 | 6 PM – 9 PM
Venue: Maison AfriKin, Scott Galvin Community Center, 1600 NE 126th St, North Miami, FL

The AfriKin Vernissage marks the grand opening of Miami Art Week. This “All-White Affair” — unites collectors, cultural leaders, and international art patrons for an evening of elegance, discovery, and dialogue. Guests will experience curated exhibitions, performances, and conversations celebrating art as both cultural expression and catalyst for global understanding.

2025 AfriKin Award of Excellence Honoree: Mr. U. Desmond Alufohai

This year, the AfriKin Foundation is honored to present the AfriKin Award of Excellence to Mr. U. Desmond Alufohai, Division Director of Protocol and International Affairs at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.

Mr. Alufohai’s distinguished career — spanning diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange — has profoundly strengthened ties between continental Africa and its diaspora. Recipient of the U.S. President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership and Voluntary Service (2025), his work exemplifies the fair’s guiding principle: building bridges across nations through creativity and collaboration.

His recognition will take place during the AfriKin Vernissage on November 30, 2025, marking a highlight of the week-long celebration.

Programming Highlights

AfriKin Talks 2025: Ethical Practices in the Arts

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 6 PM – 9 PM
Moderator: Dr. Allison K. Young (Art Historian & Curator, LSU)

This year’s AfriKin Talks explores Ethical Practices in the Arts, bringing together thought leaders including Allison Glenn, Gia M. Hamilton, and Lisa Anderson to address cultural accountability, reparative practices, and the future of art from a Global African perspective.

AfriKin Talks is not just a panel — it is a platform for cultural accountability and visionary thinking during Miami Art Week.

AfriKin Fashion 2025: Resistance on the Runway

Sunday, December 7, 2025 | 6 PM – 9 PM

This grand finale African Fashion Week Miami honors the heroines of Nder (1820) through a stunning showcase of fashion as resistance and heritage reborn. Featuring designers from Africa and its Diaspora (Alia Baré – Niger, Kahindo – Congo, Mamayashi – Jamaica, Talansi – Congo, Tanya Marie Design – Jamaica/US, Rama Diaw – Sénégal, RO2K Collection – Sierra Leone, Zainabu Fashion House – Nigeria, present collections that blend ancestral silhouettes with avant-garde statements — a ceremonial reclaiming of beauty, power, and legacy.

AfriKin Fashion Workshops: Behind the Runway

Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 6 PM – 9 PM

An intimate exchange between guests and designers, exploring sustainability, creativity, and heritage in global African fashion. Attendees gain access to an exclusive preview of collections and conversations that humanize the craft behind the couture.

Venue and Experience

All events unfold within the Maison AfriKin at the Scott Galvin Community Center, a cultural landmark in Downtown North Miami. Perfectly positioned between Miami Shores and Aventura, the venue offers both intimacy and grandeur, serving as a nexus for art, culture, and community.

AfriKin is not merely an exhibition — it is a movement at the intersection of intellect, artistry, and humanity.Brought to you in partnership with the City of North Miami, Councilman Kevin Burns of District 1 and the GMCVB — Art of Black Miami.

Visitor Information

Public Fair & Pop-Up Days:
December 1–7, 2025 | 11 AM – 9 PM

Location: Maison AfriKin, Scott Galvin Community Center
1600 NE 126th Street, North Miami, FL 33181
Email: [email protected] | Tel: +1 (305) 900-5523

Tickets: https://afrikin.art

Videos: AfriKin Vimeo Channel